State schools strike today

The teachers' strike in public schools will go ahead as planned today after efforts at conciliation during a meeting between the government and the Malta Union of Teachers failed yesterday.

The Education Ministry said last night said that despite its efforts it could not guarantee security for children in its schools and therefore it urged parents not to send their children to school today.

There will be no lessons in government schools today and no transport is being provided either. However, the schools will remain open for staff reporting for work.

The ministry said there was no valid reason for the MUT's decision to order the strike, which, it added, discriminated between children attending government schools and those attending other education institutions.

The MUT declared it was prepared to withdraw the action only if the government submitted counter-proposals to its proposed amendments to the 2007 education reform. The proposals include new requests such as increases in allowances, new wages for new posts and cutting the number of students in each class.

The government has said that talks on the amendments should continue once negotiations on supply teachers were concluded.

The MUT had originally also called a strike in Church schools but this was called off after the union and the Church authorities reached an agreement last Sunday.